By Chioma Umeha
Worried over the deepening bleak situation in the
country’s health sector, major players have blame this on what they described
as crisis in healthcare financing, just as they are seeking for urgent
intervention to resolve it.
Expressing their concern recently at the Health
Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) seventh annual symposium in Lagos, the
experts linked proper healthcare with financing, even as they stressed on
improved financing to alter the dismal health situation in the country.
The symposium which took place at the Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), also addressed challenges and effective
approaches to reshaping the health system which impairs the lives of millions.
Topics addressed at the symposium were, “Disease
Outbreaks: The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Experience,” by the
CEO, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu and “Role of Media In Advocating For Increased
Health Sector Budget in Nigeria, ” by the programme officer of Health Reform
Foundation (HEFRON)/( PACFaH) the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family
Health , Aanu Rotimi.
Others are, “Mental Health in A Recessed Economy,”
by the Acting Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr.
Richard Adebayo and “The Burden of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria” presented by Director
General, National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), Dr. Sani Aliyu.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Chris Bode, who is the chief host of
the event expressed worry over the poor state of healthcare financing in the
country and urged health journalists to focus more on reporting health
financing in the country.
Prof. Bode however wished many of the patients
visited the hospitals early enough to get the best of treatment instead of
waiting until they developed complications before being referred.
Also, he wished many of the patients could
comfortably take their hospital bills and urged journalists to focus more on
health financing in the country.
“I wish you could write more about health care
financing. Someone must pay the bill – be it government or health insurance.
Out-of-pocket payment is not what we should be talking about. Each one of us
insures our cars yet, we don’t have accidents in three years. But in your
family, somebody goes to the hospital within three months yet, we don’t have
any insurance – even when we have it, does it work, does it meet us at the
point when we need it?
The LUTH CMD also believes that the current
government has made some positive impact on the nation’s health care delivery
system which ought to engage the attention of the health writers.
He cited the reduction of industrial action by
health practitioners saying this is fast becoming the norm in the sector.
Media and budget advocacy
In her presentation, the Programme Officer
HEFRON/PACFaH, Rotimi , noted that health journalists are critical stakeholders
in national development, hence advocating for improved health outcomes is a
role they must play.
Aanu said: “Over the years, evidence has shown
that media plays a vital role in mobilising people for national development. It
is interesting to note the interplay of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors
that determines what good health is all about. Appropriate allocation, prompt
release and value for money utilisation of health funds are important.”
She specifically stated that the media should
remind government to honour her various commitments on health financing, such
as the Abuja Declaration that stated that 15 per cent of the country’s annual
budget must be allocated to health and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3
on ‘Increase substantially health financing.’
The next is the National Health Act that says one
per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) should be allocated to the health sector, among others.
The Programme Officer, however, regretted that
health financing issues are not widely covered by the media, adding that health
news rarely makes the leading headlines or cover page of media houses.
According to Aanu, other challenges of health
finance reporting in Nigeria include “limited investigation on health sector
funding , media owner’s philosophy towards health reportage, limited experts
and interest groups to track and report health outcomes on health financing and
limited demand in accountability by the media on health budget.”
As way of ensuring that government meets her
commitment towards adequate funding of the health sector, Rotimi further urged
the media to actively report issues surrounding health budget and finance.
Therefore, she urged the media to sensitize policy
makers and other decision makers on the importance of domestic financing for
health.
Mental health
In his presentation, Dr. Stephen Olamide Oluwaniyi
of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba , said that the ratio of
psychiatrists to population was 1:1,400,000 coupled with an out-dated Mental
health policy.
Oluwaniyi who represented the Acting Medical
Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr. Richard Adebayo, said
that since the onset of the current recession, he observed that the mental
health situation has worsened.
He said: “For example, at FNPH, Yaba, we recorded
a 59 per cent increase in new cases in 2016 compared with 2015.
“About 3.3 per cent of the health budget of the
Federal government goes to mental health, with over 90 per cent of this going
to mental hospitals.
“There are no social programmes specifically
targeting the needs of people with mental illness, and a large number are left
to their fate.”
Listing optimism , active coping skills, physical
health social support networks, as components of resilience of mental health ,
Oluwaniyi mentioned other measures as, appropriate antenatal care, healthy
parenting styles, healthy lifestyles , seeking appropriate treatment, positive
childhood experiences as ways of protecting future generations from manifesting
the negative effects of current recession .
HIV/AIDs: 90-90-90 Target
Speaking on behalf of Dr Sani Aliyu , Director
General, National Agency for the Control of Aids , Dr Funke Oki, Deputy
Director Programme Co-ordinator Department who noted that AIDS is the second
leading cause of deaths among adolescents in Nigeria.
Dr Oki therefore said that states must take care
of the HIV/AIDs programmes for sustainability and to achieve 90-90-90 goals of
UNAIDs.
And to achieve these goals, he said, “We have to
prevent new infections especially among adolescents and young people , identify
all those that are currently infected and place them on ART and ensure that
those on ART continue their medication to avoid treatment failure.”
Health champions
One of the high points of the event was the
presentation certificates of recognition to Prof. Chris Bode, the Chief Medical
Director of LUTH and his counterpart at LASUTH, Prof. Wale Oke for their
unalloyed support to the association .
Making the presentation was the immediate past
President of HEWAN, Mr. Azoma Chikwe, who said in a citation while presenting
the award said the two institutions led by the awardees have become very strong
supporters of the association and have remained consistent in their assistance
to the association, helping members to perform their duties of disseminating
health information with ease.
He thanked them for their support and pledged that
HEWAN and its members will continue to provide adequate and vital media
coverage for their institutions as well as other Nigerian agencies providing
critical healthcare services to Nigerians.
